Chapter 319 |
Chapter 319
Soul
When Mu-jin and his party arrived at the Sichuan Tang Clan, fortunately or unfortunately, prominent figures such as Abbot Hyun-cheon and Jegal Muhwan had already returned to the clan.
They naturally headed to the conference room and began to share the events that had transpired.
“How did things go in Nanzhao?” Hyun-cheon asked.
Mu-jin recounted the experiences and information he had gathered in Nanzhao.
“Huh, I didn’t realize the succession battle within the Demon Cult was so intense.”
“If it weren’t for the organization called Shinchun, this would have been the perfect opportunity to drive out the Demon Cult. It’s quite a shame.”
“Hahaha. We should see it from another perspective. If it weren’t for Shinchun, the current Heavenly Demon might not have been secluded, trapped in a state of Qi Deviation.”
Moreover, they were astonished by the information about Shinchun.
“You met a man called So-cheon-ju?”
“Yes. He was using the Celestial Blood Absorption Technique to accumulate an enormous amount of internal energy.”
When Mu-jin explained why Shinchun was so obsessed with human trafficking, everyone sighed heavily.
“Huh… To think that it took a cooperative effort from three Shaolin monks to barely defeat him.”
“Wasn’t he also quite young? It’s terrifying to imagine what might happen if he perfects his martial arts.”
“After hearing this, it seems more pressing to deal with Shinchun before the Demon Cult. We must prevent him from perfecting his martial arts and make it impossible for them to comfortably continue their human trafficking.”
“You’re right. Just using the Celestial Blood Absorption Technique is enough to call someone a demonic cultivator, but using it specifically on children? Such martial arts must be eradicated from the world.”
Listening to the conversation of the elderly monks and Taoists, who looked burdened by the world’s worries, Jegal Muhwan smiled faintly and spoke in a detached tone.
“While hindering Shinchun might impede the growth of the young man called So-cheon-ju, isn’t the real issue Cheon-ju? He probably has learned the same martial arts, and he might have already perfected it.”
“……”
There was a somber silence in the conference room as they considered the possibility that an incomprehensible expert might exist within the group they opposed.
The silence was broken by the man who had caused it, with a snap of his fan.
Snap!
“The reason such a master has been hiding his power is likely to avoid the attention of the imperial court. But if we continue to achieve victory after victory against Shinchun, eventually, that man will step forward.”
“Then, General, do you have a plan?”
Tang Pae-jin, the head of the Sichuan Tang Clan, asked.
Jegal Muhwan covered his mouth with his fan and smiled with his eyes.
“No.”
“……”
Everyone looked bewildered by his confident answer. He added.
“There’s no such thing as a foolproof plan. We just assume the worst-case scenario and prepare for all possible contingencies. We don’t know the exact capabilities of Cheon-ju or what he might do. Therefore, while dealing with Shinchun, we must continue to prepare measures to confront him.”
When Jegal Muhwan finished speaking, tension filled the conference room.
Sweeping his gaze over the senior figures of each faction, who seemed lost in complicated thoughts, Jegal Muhwan covered his mouth with his fan.
‘Not bad.’
Recently, everything had been going according to plan, and they had been repeatedly victorious in battles related to Shinchun.
While this situation boosted confidence, it also had the downside of breeding complacency.
That’s why Jegal Muhwan intentionally emphasized the threat of Cheon-ju to instill a sense of crisis.
Realizing Jegal Muhwan’s intention, Mu-jin waited for a while until the others in the conference room felt the urgency.
After the atmosphere had calmed down a bit, he asked the question he was curious about.
“So, did everything go well in the Central Plains while we were in Nanzhao?”
Jegal Muhwan answered Mu-jin’s question.
“After Hwasan and the Emei Sect, we successfully closed off Qingcheng and Jeomchang Sect as well. At least now, there are no forces within the righteous faction openly opposing us.”
Hearing that the situation with the righteous faction had been resolved to some extent, Mu-jin asked again.
“What about the situation with Sa-doryeon?”
“Do you remember the woman who appeared at the Guangdong Jin family last time?”
“You mean the woman who was using the name Baek So-hyang?”
Jegal Muhwan nodded at Mu-jin’s question.
“She is leading Sa-doryeon in place of Hyeok Jin-gang, who remains secluded. The public calls her the Nasha Witch. However, it seems that her forces are insufficient to counter the Southern Sky Association and the Namgung family’s offensive. I’ve heard that they have retreated to Zhejiang and Fujian provinces, abandoning other places.”
“It seems Sa-doryeon hasn’t scattered completely.”
Mu-jin asked, puzzled.
Despite the fall of two of the seven evil factions, Salmak and Guangdong Jin family, and the rebellion of the Hao Clan, Guryongbang, and Tu-shin Bang under the new alliance name of Southern Sky Association, it was surprising that the cunning members of Sa-doryeon still maintained their alliance.
Especially since the Green Forest had declared neutrality during the second part of the novel when the internal conflict among the evil factions occurred.
Well, they likely aimed to backstab at the end of the war and take the spoils for themselves.
“Hehehe. In truth, after the collapse of Sa-doryeon’s buildings in Hunan and the Guangdong Jin family, it seems the Green Forest and Heukcheon Association offered an alliance to the Southern Sky Association. However, the Southern Sky Association bluntly refused, saying they wouldn’t ally with those engaged in human trafficking and drug smuggling. After that, Green Forest and Heukcheon Association tried to remain neutral, but the Namgung family didn’t care about neutrality and has been killing all the evil faction members they encounter.”
Finally, Mu-jin understood the situation to some extent.
‘In the end, Green Forest and Heukcheon Association are sticking with Sa-doryeon not out of loyalty but for their survival.’
While Mu-jin was nodding in understanding, Jegal Muhwan brought up an intriguing topic.
“Ah, now that I think about it, you wouldn’t have heard this news while you were in Nanzhao. As the war prolongs, news about new strong individuals in the martial world spreads quickly.”
‘Indeed, war does create heroes,’ Jegal Muhwan added.
“Who are these individuals?”
Curious, Mu-jin asked, and Jegal Muhwan answered while folding his fan.
"First of all, the three Shaolin monks who displayed impressive martial arts in battles against the Hwasan Sect and the Murim Alliance—Mu-gung, Mu-gyeong, and Mu-yul—each received the nicknames Golden Palm, Demon-Repelling Unyielding, and Red Monkey Twin Fists, respectively. Together, they are called the Three Stars of Shaolin."
Upon hearing Jegal Muhwan's explanation, Mu-jin had a sudden question.
"Putting aside the others, why is Mu-yul called Red Monkey Twin Fists?"
"Ha ha ha. Isn't Mu-yul always with that red monkey? Also, his Shaolin robe is red, so it makes sense to pair them together."
Mu-jin felt somewhat convinced yet still slightly uneasy.
‘...If Red Monkey is first in the nickname, doesn't that make the monkey the main and the person the assistant? Ah, do they consider both as monkeys?’
While Mu-jin was confused, Jegal Muhwan continued his explanation about others.
"Similarly, the young master of the Jegal family, the young master of the Namgung family, the Cheongsu Dojang of Wudang, and Dao Yuetian of the Tu-shin Bang are collectively called the Seven Stars. They have all significantly contributed to the recent war."
As Mu-jin nodded in agreement, Jegal Muhwan looked at him with a playful expression.
"Doesn't something seem odd to you?"
"What do you mean?"
"When discussing emerging strong warriors, the name of Mu-jin, who is also a prominent late-stage martial artist, isn't mentioned."
"Now that you mention it, that's true."
Mu-jin answered nonchalantly. Jegal Muhwan, feeling bored by Mu-jin's indifferent reaction, replied indifferently.
"Actually, Master Mu-jin has a nickname of his own, 'Fist Emperor.'"
Mu-jin had once defeated Wi Ji-hak, the Martial Alliance Leader, who was known as the Fist King, on his own.
Naturally, it made no sense to compare Mu-jin with other late-stage martial artists on the same level.
"Does that mean I've replaced one of the original Seven Kings?"
Finally reacting, Mu-jin asked, and Jegal Muhwan smiled broadly.
"Separate from the original Seven Kings, the four newly rising masters are called the Four New Emperors. One of them is Master Mu-jin, and another is the evil emperor, also known as the Nasha Witch."
"Who are the other two?"
"One is the head of the Namgung family. It has long been hidden by Namgung Geomhwang, but the head's martial arts have reached a level comparable to the original Seven Kings. The last one, honestly, was an entirely unexpected person."
"Who is it?"
"The leader of the Noklim bandits."
"...Was the leader of bandits that strong?"
"It was revealed during a recent battle. The Noklim leader fought Namgung Geomje in the field for nearly a hundred bouts. In the end, the Noklim leader's axe broke, leading to his defeat, but this was more due to the weapon difference than skill. Namgung Geomje's sword is the legendary Changcheon Sword."
After hearing Jegal Muhwan's explanation, Mu-jin had a thought.
If the Noklim leader had been among the pursuing forces when he was being chased in Guangxi Province, what would have happened?
He might have died before meeting the Wolf King, or he might have been killed by a combined attack from the Wolf King and the Noklim leader.
'Or maybe they would have fought over who got to kill me first?'
That scenario seemed just as troublesome.
'Well, it's all in the past now.'
At this point, the Noklim leader's unexpected skill posed no problem.
Instead, Mu-jin was more interested in the changing hierarchy of the martial world.
‘With Namgung Geomhwang passed away and three of the Seven Kings gone, four new masters have emerged.’
The Dark King of the Tang Clan, the Sword King of Hwasan, and Wi Ji-hak of the Murim Alliance had all died, and new strong warriors were quickly filling the void.
Though the emergence of two strong warriors from the Sa-doryeon was uncomfortable, it likely wouldn't have a significant impact on the overall situation.
After all, the remaining absolute masters in Sa-doryeon were only the Nasha Witch and the Noklim leader, while Hyeok Jin-gang remained secluded.
"If we help Namgung and the Southern Sky Association to push back Sa-doryeon, we can wrap things up soon."
Mu-jin felt a strange unease even as he spoke.
‘Can things really go this smoothly?’
Of course, the process hadn't been easy.
Mu-jin had faced numerous life-threatening situations, such as meeting the Wolf King, being trapped in the Murim Alliance's Tianluo Network with Wi Ji-hak, and encountering the Young Lord of the Southern Barbarians.
Despite nearly dying several times, the current state of affairs felt oddly off.
‘If this is all it takes to win, would there have been a need for three parts of this story?’
At the end of the second part of the story, an interim alliance between the Heavenly Demon, the Evil Emperor, and the Saint Monk was formed to deal with the shadowy forces.
It was only natural that in the latter part of the story, an enemy would appear that would require the combined strength of Dao Yuetian, who single-handedly killed Hyeok Jin-gang, and two other strong warriors.
‘Does this mean the hidden strength of the Cheon-ju, who is still hiding, is formidable enough that even the combined power of the three won't be enough?’
Just as Mu-jin's thoughts reached that point, there was a commotion at the entrance of the meeting room.
"What is this noise!"
Tang Pae-jin shouted, and a martial artist entered urgently with a worried expression.
"Urgent news! Hyeok Jin-gang has reappeared in Fujian Province."
Those in the meeting room frowned slightly at his shout.
‘Has he somewhat recovered from the internal injuries inflicted by Namgung Geomhwang?’
Thinking that the task of dealing with Sa-doryeon might take longer than expected, the martial artist who delivered the urgent news spoke again.
"Also, an unknown group has attacked Wudang!"
* * *
A few days ago, on Mount Wudang in Hubei Province.
There, the elder monks and young disciples were spending a leisurely time.
Just as Shaolin had left their less skilled third-class disciples and the One Hundred Eight Arhats to protect the temple at Songshan,
Wudang had left their less skilled third-class disciples and elders, including the Taiji Sword Immortal Yunheo, at Mount Wudang while participating in the war.
The first to sense the change that came to the otherwise peaceful Wudang was Yunheo Zhenren.
‘Haegeomji?’
Feeling a slight disturbance in the Qi from the direction of Haegeomji, he quickly moved.
When he arrived at Haegeomji, he saw two third-class disciples who had been guarding the area lying on the red river.
Following Yunheo Zhenren, one of the elders of Wudang, who also sensed the ominous signs and rushed to Haegeomji, shouted angrily.
"You bastards! How dare you harm Wudang disciples at Haegeomji!"
But Yunheo Zhenren, instead of getting angry like the elder, sent a voice transmission to the head of the sect with a solemn expression.
- Sect Leader, take the disciples and flee with the third-class disciples.
- What are you saying, Senior Brother!
The unexpected voice transmission puzzled the Wudang sect leader, Yun-song Zhenren, but Yunheo Zhenren's gaze remained fixed on one spot.
A group of a dozen or so men in black who had killed the two third-class disciples.
‘Where on earth were these people hiding?’
Each of them had reached a level that could be considered among the top hundred martial artists.
However, for Yunheo Zhenren, who was known as one of the Three Swords of the World, a top hundred martial artist was not a significant threat.
Even so, Yunheo Zhenren was tense because of the middle-aged man standing at the center of the men in black.
The man, who appeared detached from the world, had a face devoid of any emotion and emitted no discernible aura.
Yunheo instinctively realized.
This man was a master far above himself.